End of Regulation: Northwestern 24 Minnesota 17

What a finish. Just when it looked like the game was heading to overtime the defense came up with a timely interception. The ‘Cats are now 7-2 and are guaranteed to go to a bowl game. The game ball has to go to Mike Kafka. Filling in for Bacher, the junior kept the ‘Cats in the game with his legs. He finished with 218 rushing yards but also threw for two touchdowns. A lot of credit also has to go to the coaching staff. With Kafka as qb this is a completely different team but the coaches came up with a strategy that uses the new team’s, specifically Kafka’s, strengths.

:12 4Q: Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss. Brendan Smith intercepts Weber and runs it all the way back for a touchdown. The pass hit off Oreduba’s face mask and then was deflected right to Smith. Northwestern 24 Minnesota 17.

1:01 4Q: Not exactly Joe Montanaesque. NU goes three and out and Kafka fumbles the snap on third down. Minny will get the ball back with a timeout and plenty of time to get in field goal position.

1:44 4Q: Minnesota punts and the ‘Cats will take over at the 20 with a chance to win and improve to 7-2. If not, overtime (assuming we don’t turn over the ball extremely quickly). Either way, NU is living up to its cardiac cats nickname.

4:31 3Q: The Gophers defense stops Northwestern on 3rd and short and the ‘Cats have to punt. The Wildcats tried a designed quarterback run, a play they ran successfully earlier on a third and short earlier during the drive. In both plays NU had no one in the backfield, something I disagree with. Why completely give away your hand?

11:36 4Q: Northwestern kicker Ammodo Villarreal misses a 46 yard field goal wide right and the Gophers will take over with good field position. The field goal attempt was set up by yet another great run by Kafka, who seems to have decided to fill in for both Sutton and Bacher.

14:09 4Q: The Gophers try a fake field goal and complete a pass but come up short of the first down. The ‘Cats suspected it all long and stayed in coverage. Fitz is really pumped up on the sideline. Let’s hope it carries over to the rest of the team.

End of third quarter: Northwestern 17 Minnesota 17

33: 3Q: Simmons gets his second interception of the game on a forced throw by Kafka. The ‘Cats faced a second and long after a failed reverse to Peterman. Kafka has played great all day but, as I said before, he can’t win game with his arm and they never should have called a play which asks him to do so. After the Gophers missed that field goal the interception really gets them off the hook.

3:02 3Q: The ‘Cats defense stands tall and stops the Gophers defense on first and goal. Then, Gophers kicker Joel Monroe misses a chip shit field goal. Minnesota just missed a great opportunity to take a lead handing into the fourth quarter. Much like Indiana last week, all NU wanted heading into this game was a chance to win in the fourth quarter and, barring a turnover, it appears they will get just that chance.

5:17 3Q: Ugh, on 3rd and 19 Minnesota converts on a Weber pass and is in the red zone. The receiver was wide open, something that just shouldn’t have happened on 3rd and 19.

6:30 3Q: A pass offense call against Northwestern’s David Oreduba gets the Gophers into NU territory. It was an iffy call but Oreduba was against Decker in single coverage and the refs were probably expecting a pass interference.

End of first half: Northwestern 17 Minnesota 17

:41 2Q: Well, it looks like we’ll enter the second half tied. Minnesota completes a long drive with a field goal to tie the game at 17. You have to give the ‘Cats credit for surviving the injuries so far and staying right with the Gophers on Homecoming. Especial credit needs to go to Kafka. Kafka responded to his interception with a great 53 yard run that completely changed the complexion of the game. The defense has also played well, limiting Eric Decker to just two catches and running back DeLeon Eskridge to nine rushing yards.

5:33 2Q: Holy shit, is that Mike Kafka or Michael Vick (minus the whole animal cruelty thing)? Kafka breaks like two tackles and sprints 53 yards down the sideline to set up a short touchdown pass to Josh Brooks. On the td pass, Kafka really made a great play fake to sell the run. The whole Gophers defense came in, leaving Brooks wide open. NU is back on top 17-14. More importantly, Minny was starting to take control of the game but now its the ‘Cats who have the momentum.

10:07 2Q: Huge momentum changer. Minnesota intercepts a Kafka pass and returns it to the end zone. It’s now 14-10 Gophers. Kafka really wound up and stared at the intended receiver, Ross Lane. The whole word knew who he was going to throw to and the Gophers corner Trey Simmons easily jumped in front of Lane to pick off the pass.

14:56 2Q: Gophers’ quarterback Adam Weber finds star receiver Eric Decker wide open in the end zone to cut the ‘Cats lead to 3 at 10-7. Decker is the Gophers’ best weapon and there’s no excuse for losing track of him, especially on a key third down play.

End of first quarter: Northwestern 10 Minnesota 0
The ‘Cats have dominated the play so far but the Gophers are in the red zone and threatening to score. NU really came out fired up to start the game and obviously felt they had something to prove after the loss last week to Indiana and the constant talk about how without Bacher and Sutton they were no match for Minnesota.

3:44 1Q: Another big run for Kafka gets NU into Gophers’ territory. Unfortunately, the Minnesota defense makes a couple of nice plays and NU is forced to punt. On the punt, the ‘Cats missed a chance to down the ball on the one and instead let the ball bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

6:55 1Q: NU adds a field goal and is now up 10-0. On third and long the ‘Cats decided to settle for the field goal and called a running play for Kafka instead of a risky long place. Good call. Kafka looks good but you still don’t want to force the young quarterback into winning the game by completing long, difficult passes.

11:44 1Q: On the kickoff return, Vince Browne gets caught on the unforgiving Metrodome astro turf and appears to be seriously injured. If he is as hurt as he appears, it would be a major loss for an NU defense that is already playing without starting linebacker Vince Browne.

11:49 1Q: After changing the play at the line of scrimmage, Mike Kafka hits Jeremy Ebert on third down and he sprints into the end zone to give Northwestern a 7-0 lead. Just like Peyton Manning! The pass completed what was an impressive early drive by Kafka. He made a nice pass to Peterman near the sideline and on the first play of the game bursts through a few tackles and ran for a first down.